Inspiring Christlikeness

Spring 2021

TRANSFORMLangham Partnership News

John Stott Centenary the legacy lives on Contents

Equipping a new generation of Bible teachers

Chair of Trustees Mary Evans National Director John Libby International Ministries Director Chris Wright

Langham Preaching Programme Director: Paul Windsor Langham Literature Programme Director: Pieter Kwant PO Box 296 Carlisle CA3 9WZ E: [email protected] Langham Scholars Programme Director Riad Kassis

If you would like multiple copies of this magazine for friends, church members, 4 8 10 etc., please ask Liz Wright, address below. Please send donations to: Abrahamic The Vision Word on the World Mrs Liz Wright A study by John Stott 19 Whitfield Place, London, W1T 5JX and Apostalic Continues Tel: 020 7209 0915 Email: [email protected]

Registered Charity No. 1092233 Company limited by guarantee. Langham Partnership’s No. 4235957 Tim Charnick Design: 07712613926 Vision and Mission Cover photo courtesy of Kieran Dodds Langham Partnership’s Our mission is to strengthen the ministry Vision is to see of the Word of God through: nurturing Have you considered including Langham churches equipped for national movements for biblical preaching Partnership in your will? mission and growing (Langham Preaching); fostering the creation Like many mission organisations we can to maturity in Christ and distribution of evangelical literature benefit greatly when friends make a final through the ministry of (Langham Literature); and enhancing gift that continues to bless the ministries pastors and leaders who evangelical theological education (Langham they have generously supported in believe, teach and live Scholars), especially in countries where life. Once you have made proper and by the Word of God. churches are under resourced. primary provision for family and friends this can be a very effective way to go on making a difference to the church on follow us earth when you have joined the church Give online in glory! If you would like to consider this You can donate to option in your will please let us know and we wiill send you a helpful legacy Langham easily online, leaflet. Contact John Libby: once or regularly. [email protected] Go to this page and click on the links: If you would like to discontinue receiving www.langham.org Transform please email us on uk@ http://uk.langham.org/donate-now/ langham.org

TRANSFO2 RM Spring 2021 Greetings from the National Director:

hich disciple in the UK hopes for the ‘new called to be more radical? John Stott was the person normal’, a return to a similar rhythm that who was key in changing my own compromised, Wgave safety, security, social life (without wriggly, lukewarm, self-defined discipleship. Possibly distancing), family reintegration and the freedom and also for you? So we celebrate his legacy. Legacy? As variety of choice in travel and holidays? Me, for one! OxfordLanguages suggests: You too? I recognise these as rather comfortable, middle class, western aspirations and wonder what “ proportion of the global population is simply too exhausted or damaged or frightened to look to the future at all. Then I consider my calling as a Christian disciple. Which true disciple looks backwards? The furrows made by our ploughs are wriggly enough even when we try to look forward! As Jesus cautioned, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’ Historically, God’s people accepted their challenge and made their sacrifices, rejecting self-centredness. ‘When a person dies, the mark the individual left on The open-endedness of their call and their responses the world represents that individual’s legacy. ... It is are commended in scripture, ‘Here am I, send about the richness of the individual’s life, including me!’ ‘We have given everything up to follow you’, what that person accomplished and the impact he or and yet, shortly after the events of the crucifixion she had on people and places. Ultimately, the story of and resurrection, we find the first disciples back as a person’s life reflects the individual’s legacy.’ fishermen on Galilee, their ‘new normal’, albeit only But then we have an oxymoron, don’t we? John briefly? It was indeed only a pause. Can we imagine Stott’s Legacy becomes in truth Prophetic, Peter, John or Paul looking backwards with any sense challenging us to look forward and not back and so of longing rather than forward to their divine mission to better become the people God wants us to be! and ministry? I suspect he would not be impressed if his legacy We need forward vision and inspiration. The caused us to look back rather than forward. It’s as current shock to economic expectations reminds if he challenges us to spend time seriously cleaning of a previous Chancellor’s observation: steering our windscreen as opposed to fiddling with our rear the economy was like driving a vehicle with the mirror. windscreen completely obscured and only the rear- As you read this edition’s articles and reflect on view mirror to give any guidance. Looking back in the man and the writings they point to, I hope you order to drive forward is fine providing there are no feel called, like me, to rejoice and to celebrate. bends or bumps in the road. Scripture tells us that The godly response is surely to look forward with the narrow road which we are called to follow is greater commitment and confidence, even as we hazardous. acknowledge and admire John Stott’s generous Yet, rather than attempt to clean the windscreen, we Legacy. seem to prefer to look back with all the perfect clarity With Christian greetings which hindsight allows and then to expect ‘more of John Libby the same’ or not that much different – in our comfort, National Director, in our ambition, in our behaviour. What if we are Langham Partnership (UKI)

LANGHAM PARTNERS HIP 3 Abrahamic and Apostalic

by Chris Wright Global Ambassador and Ministry Director

‘I am a great believer,’ John Stott would often say, ‘in the importance of B.B.C. Not the British Broadcasting Company, nor Bethlehem Bible College, nor even Beautiful British Columbia. But “Balanced Biblical Christianity”.’ In my own assessment of John’s life and ministry I suggest a biblical balance of Old and New Testaments by saying that the scale and scope of John Stott’s significance within the global church has been both Abrahamic and apostolic.

Abrahamic always been ‘Abrahamic’ in the sense of what it meant to be the worldwide body being instrumental in God fulfilling that of Christ. Wherever he went, he did as John Stott was Abrahamic in two ways, promise. And in that sense, John Stott his father had told him as a small boy of which the first is the most obvious. was truly Abahamic. His whole life, from in the countryside – he kept his eyes a) Blessing the nations a very early stage of his pastoral ministry, and ears open. He listened respectfully The gospel, according to Paul (Gal. 3:8), was spent in reaching out to the nations to other cultures, learned from them, was announced in advance to Abraham of the world. and sought to see the richness of the – namely, the good news of God’s His travels in all continents were not eternal biblical gospel through the eyes, promise to bless all the nations on earth just some kind of tourism for Jesus needs and aspirations of others. It could through him. Ultimately, of course, this (or sanctified bird-watching), but were be said that he was a blessing to so was fulfilled through Jesus Christ and the integrated into a growing passion to many people in every part of the world, spread of the gospel in his name to all gain a truly global understanding of because he opened himself up to be nations. But the role of God’s people has Christian theology and mission, and of blessed by them. And the extent to which John Stott was Abrahamic in ‘blessing

TRANSFO4 RM Spring 2021 the nations’ can be seen in the number of international evangelical organizations in which he invested many years of encouragement, advocacy and practical ministry, such as IFES (the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), EFAC (the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion), the Lausanne Movement, WEA (the World Evangelical Fellowship), Scripture Union, A Rocha, Tear Fund, and doubtless many other less well known national initiatives that He listened respectfully to other were blessed by his support. b) The obedience of faith cultures, learned from them, and But John was Abrahamic not just in sought to see the richness of the the scope of his ministry, but also in its substance. ‘By faith Abraham… eternal biblical gospel through the obeyed’ (Heb. 11:8). God’s promise eyes, needs and aspirations of others. came along with a demand, that he should walk in the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, and falsehood of the ‘sacred-secular divide’. teaching his household to do the same New Testament we see the apostles’ It was this conviction that led to the (Gen. 18:19). God’s people were to evangelism and the apostles’ teaching. bless the nations by living among them foundation of the London Institute for a) Evangelism in a way that was ethically distinctive at Contemporary Christianity, as well as every level – political, economic, judicial, books like The Contemporary Christian The apostles were commissioned to familial, sexual, etc. God’s people are and Issues Facing Christians Today. proclaim the good news that the one true to be, as Jesus put it, salt in a corrupt John was not interested in ‘the God of Israel had kept his promise of world and light in a dark world. And we irreducible minimum of the gospel’. blessing to the world, in sending his only can perform that function only by being He was once asked to define what he Son, Jesus of Nazareth, as the promised engaged with and in the world in every thought that might be, and declined. Messiah and Lord, and to call people area of life over which Jesus is Lord Rather, he said, he wanted to be faithful of every nation to receive the salvation (which means – every area of life on to the whole biblical gospel in all its that God had accomplished through his earth, and even the earth itself as God’s glorious richness and in its transforming cross and resurrection, by repentance, creation). power, which brings all of life in heaven faith, baptism and obedience. John Stott was as passionate about and earth under the Lordship of Christ. John Stott had the heart of an evangelist the engagement and penetration of the from his own teenage conversion to his gospel into every area of public life as he Apostolic final years in the hospice known as the was about the truth of the gospel itself. John would never have claimed or College of St. Barnabas. About a year He could not separate them. Indeed, used the title ‘apostle’ for himself, of before he died, he told me with some he would have argued that the truth of course. ‘There are no apostles in today’s excitement how he had been able to the gospel has not really been grasped church,’ he said, ‘with the same status ‘explain the way of salvation’ to one of unless and until the radical demands or authority as the unique apostles his carers – a woman who asked him a of the gospel, as well as the gracious of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New question while wheeling him back from promises of the gospel, are being Testament.’ Nevertheless, his ministry lunch in the dining room to his own presented and lived out in the world by was apostolic in the sense that it faithfully room. ‘integrated Christians’, that is, Christians reflected the passion and priorities of The first of John’s international travels who have rejected the disabling the biblical apostles, in two ways. In the was to conduct evangelistic missions

LANGHAM PARTNERS HIP 5 lack of teaching, discipling and godly leadership that left such new churches weak and vulnerable, plagued by spiritual extremism and moral laxity, and at the mercy of self-appointed mega- leaders who exploit the flock with more greed than grace. Like the Apostle John, he also longed to see Christians and churches living in love and unity, and saw our chronic dividedness (particularly among so-called evangelicals) as very visible evidence of our immaturity. ‘How would you sum up the state of the church around the world today?’ he would often ask, when called on to introduce the work of the Langham Partnership. ‘I can do it in three words,’ he went on. ‘Growth without depth. There is much evangelistic growth in numbers. But sadly there is also shallowness and immaturity everywhere, and it is not pleasing to God.’ From that challenging start he would go on to articulate what he called ‘The Langham Logic’ – based on three biblical convictions (supported with many biblical texts) and a logical conclusion. i) God wants his church to grow up in John Stott was as passionate maturity - not just to grow bigger in and committed to the work of numbers. ii) God’s church grows through God’s apostolic teaching as to apostolic word. iii) God’s word comes to God’s people evangelism. mainly (not exclusively) through biblical preaching on university campuses in the USA and b) Teaching So if these three convictions are true, Canada in 1956-57, and for years his The apostles were tireless also in then the logical question to ask is, What effectiveness as a university evangelist teaching their new churches, by word can we do to raise the standards of was the main reason for his growing or letter, grounding them in their faith biblical preaching? For then the word international ministry. His early book and urging them to grow up in their of God will feed the people of God and (almost but not quite his first) Basic faith, living, and endurance. In this, just they will grow to maturity and thereby Christianity distilled those evangelistic as much as in evangelism, they were to effectiveness in their mission and messages and has led thousands of doing what Jesus told them in ‘the great ministry in the world. people to faith in Christ. And his last commission’ - namely, ‘teaching them to This rationale, provided by John Stott, book, The Radical Disciple, written when obey all that I have commanded you’. remains the driving engine of all the he could scarcely hold his pen steady, ministries of the Langham Partnership John Stott was as passionate and still breathes the truth and the appeal of International, which he founded. It committed to the work of apostolic the apostolic gospel. began as the Langham Trust in 1969 teaching as to apostolic evangelism. It was John’s heart for evangelism, (characteristically named, not after and his emphasis on its centrality Like the Apostle Paul, he longed to see himself, but the street where his church within Christian mission, that led to Christians and churches growing up to stands), which provides scholarships to his involvement with Billy Graham in maturity in Christ and growing into the help gifted younger evangelicals gain the first Lausanne Congress on World likeness of Christ. He observed, and doctorates and be better equipped Evangelization in 1974, providing in rejoiced in, the numerical growth of as teachers of pastors in their own The Lausanne Covenant a classic the church in the ‘majority world’ (long countries. Then came the Evangelical definition and theology of evangelism before that term was used, and before Literature Trust in 1971, recycling that is biblically faithful and contextually the phenomenal growth of the church John’s own book royalties and other relevant, and which continues to bear in the ‘global south’ was brought to donations to provide books for pastors rich fruit in the subsequent documents of the attention of Christians in the west and seminaries to resource their biblical the Lausanne Movement including The by books like Philip Jenkins, The Next preaching. And finally in 2001 John Cape Town Commitment. Christendom). But he also lamented the Stott and I pioneered some preaching

TRANSFO6 RM Spring 2021 seminars in Latin America, to motivate John Stott understood clearly that and train pastors in the skills of biblical preaching, which gave birth the following there is mission beyond evangelism year to a plan for such training in other continents. These three initiatives – the mission of teaching and now work together as three integrated discipling. programmes: Langham Scholars, Langham Literature and Langham Preaching, under the unifying vision, Langham’s major effort lies in fostering All of these ministries can be included ‘To see churches worldwide equipped indigenous evangelical writers, editors under the category of ‘apostolic for mission and growing to maturity in and publishing houses in majority teaching’ - whether that teaching Christ through the ministry of pastors world countries, to feed the minds happens in a pulpit, in a classroom, and leaders who believe, teach, and and hearts of their own people in or in the pages of a book. They are live by, the word of God.’ their own languages and to resource comparable to the ministries of Apollos n Langham Scholars has enabled pastors and preachers for their primary (a scholar teacher), Timothy (a preacher more than 300 men and women from task. The past 15 years have seen and trainer of others) and even Tertius ninety countries to gain doctorates in the production of major one-volume (a trained writer who wrote Paul’s letter Bible and theology and most of them commentaries on the whole Bible, to the Romans). All teaching that builds are now teaching future generations entirely written by scholars in their up the church (theological education in of pastors in Bible colleges and own region, for Africa (in several its broadest sense), is part of the great seminaries, or in positions of senior languages), South Asia, Latin America, commission, so by its nature, missional. leadership in national churches. Partly the Arabic speaking and Russian John Stott understood clearly that there as the fruit of this work, there are speaking regions. is mission beyond evangelism – the now some high quality evangelical mission of teaching and discipling. Every n Langham Preaching is fostering seminaries offering doctoral degrees Paul needs an Apollos. whole movements for biblical in majority world countries and the preaching in more than eighty In these various ways, then, John Stott voice of majority world theological countries, with a combination of was both Abrahamic and apostolic. The scholarship is being heard in the west training seminars, multiplying local global church has been incalculably through the writing and speaking of preachers’ clubs, training of local blessed by him in both respects. Langham Scholars. and national facilitators and trainers, Whether the church has yet learned and n Langham Literature has provided regional conferences, and providing implemented the lessons he taught, is evangelical books to hundreds of books and other preaching resources. another matter. thousands of pastors and hundreds of seminary libraries over many years. Initially this was mainly western books in English or translation. Now

LANGHAM PARTNERS HIP 7 The Vision Continues

he impact of John Stott’s ministry continues today through his books and ministries such as Langham Partnership, as they Twork to multiply church leaders in the Majority World. His vision for Langham when it began in 1969 was to see every pastor in every church equipped to preach the Bible. He would not want the spotlight on himself and would be the first to give glory to God for the work that continues and indeed flourishes around the world. Currently there are more than 270 trained scholars working in their own countries and contexts with 84 more in the process of getting their PhD. There are 8 regional commentaries either finished or being worked on with most being translated into several regional languages. And the Preaching programme has over 1,140 preaching clubs worldwide. Just a small part of all that is happening in the global church around the world, inspired by the vision of John Stott and that vision continues...

Sharing Good News Bringing Hope As a crime scene investigator in Brazil, Rafael has seen hard things. But as a Dith Savy lost many members of her pastor of a church, and founder of an family to Cambodia’s brutal Khmer outreach to kids, he is in a position to Rouge regime. Today, as a writer and bring the life-changing good news of editor at Langham-supported Christian Jesus to broken people and places. publisher in Phnom Penh, she authors Rafael was trained for ministry at books that bring hope and healing in South American Theological Seminary, Christ to others who have shared similar founded by Langham Scholar Antonio tragedies. Her book, How Cambodian Barro (a leader equipped through your Women are Called to Live a Fulfilled Life, generosity). Today, Rafael heads up was published because of your prayers several ministries that provide care and support. Dith says the book teaches for the homeless, counselling for the women that “beauty is inside, and God addicted, and activities for at-risk kids. protects His people for the glory of His He says, “Our goal is to take people to work.” the Kingdom of God.”

TRANSFO8 RM Spring 2021 Spreading Joy

Elizabeth is full of joy – a joy that is infectious as she uses her musical gifts to lift up the name of Jesus through worship. But it wasn’t always like that. Her heart used to be bitter, full of sin and hurt, not joy. What changed that? She came face to face with Jesus! Her Langham-trained pastor shared the Word of God in a way she could understand – in a way that brought hope and healing. She says, “When I received the Word of God, I wanted to turn from sin and walk in righteousness…my life is transformed to be a better life.” From Nigeria to London to the World Our part in The London City Mission and Langham Partnership the vision International jointly announce a change in their senior leadership. continuing

ev Tayo Arikawe, BSc, MTh, Chris Wright, who has been lmost ten years since will be moving from his post as International Ministries Director at RDirector of Ministries at London Langham Partnership since 2001, will John Stott’s death, this City Mission, which he has held since continue to serve Langham within Aedition of Transform 2017, to the position of International the senior leadership team as Global shows us that his legacy is well Director at Langham Partnership Ambassador and Ministry Director. and truly alive. We can see International, from 1st April, 2021. Graham Miller, Chief Executive of that legacy in different ways, Tayo Arikawe, from Nigeria, has served London City Mission says: “In God’s including the majority world in church planting and pastor training direction and strength, Tayo has led church leaders being equipped ministry in several countries in Africa, the London City Mission field team in the UK and in continental Europe, through significant changes, so that to teach the Bible, and also the seeking in each case to align biblical in God’s grace even more churches blessing that Langham continues mission theology with clear strategic across London might be mobilised to to receive through the royalties vision and effective practice. Tayo, reach the least reached communities of all John Stott’s books, in his who lives in southwest London with his with the gospel. It has been a joy and lifetime and through a bequest in a privilege to serve with Tayo during his will. times of great change, not only for LCM, but also for the world, and I am We can share in Uncle John’s very thankful to the Lord for Tayo’s faithful perseverance and godly legacy as part of our own. attitude. I know he will serve Langham Would you consider leaving a Partnership International in the Lord’s gift in your will to Langham, as a strength and for his glory.” way of ensuring that his legacy Jill McGilvray, Chair of Langham continues for generations to Partnership International Council, come? It could be your greatest says, “At Langham Partnership we are gift ever. If you already have delighted to welcome Tayo Arikawe as our new International Director. We are made this provision, Thank you! grateful that God has led us to a man If you would like to let Langham of such character, skill and experience know that you have done so, or wife Calista and son Mekus, has also and we look forward to continuing to would like some help in leaving worked to strengthen relationships help equip the global church under a gift, please go to and missional vision among the Tayo’s leadership.” wide variety of diaspora Christian www.uk.langham.org/gift-in-wills. communities in the UK.

LANGHAM PARTNERS HIP 9 John Stott not to harden their hearts or shut This is excerpted from “Who, Then, Are the Poor?” in their hands against the poor, but Christ the Cornerstone: Collected Essays of John Stott to maintain those who could not by John Stott (Lexham Press, 2019) maintain themselves, taking them This essay was first published in May 1981 in Christianity Today home and feeding them without charge. If an Israelite loaned money, he was not to exact interest. If he WHO, THEN, ARE THE POOR? took a pledge, he was not to go into the poor person’s house to fetch One could answer this question rationally, with the cool detachment it, but to wait outside until it was of statistics. There are 4.3 billion inhabitants of planet Earth, and one-fifth are destitute. Every day, 10,000 succumb to starvation, brought. If he took as pledge the and die. Meanwhile, more than another one-fifth live in a!uence, person’s cloak, he was to restore consume four-fifths of the world’s income, and contribute to Third it before nightfall, because a cloak World development the derisory annual sum of $45 billion, while by day was a blanket by night. spending 21 times that amount on armaments. Employers were to pay wages to their workers on the same day. Farmers were not to reap a field Or one could approach the question Hannah quoted this after the birth of “to its very border,” or gather the emotionally, with the hot-blooded Samuel; Mary alluded to it when she gleanings of the harvest, or strip a indignation aroused by the sights, learned she was to be the mother of vine or olive tree bare; the leftovers sounds, and smells of poverty. the Messiah. Jesus kept repeating were for the poor, the alien, the Arriving in Calcutta a few weeks that “he who exalts himself will be widow, the orphan. ago, I found the city enveloped in humbled, while he who humbles a malodorous pall of smoke from a himself will be exalted.” The wisdom literature underlined myriad fires fueled with cow dung. this: “Blessed is he who considers Who, then, are “the poor” whom God An emaciated woman clutching an the poor.” Why? Because “he who “raises from the dust”? emaciated baby stretched out an mocks the poor insults his Maker,” emaciated hand for baksheesh. A The Indigent Poor whereas “he who is kind to the poor quarter of a million people sleep lends to the Lord.” No wonder our First, and economically speaking, on the city’s sidewalks, and human Lord fed the hungry, made friends there are the indigent poor, deprived beings are reduced to foraging like with the poor, and promised that if we of the basic necessities of life. God dogs in its garbage dumps. do likewise we shall find ourselves commanded his people in the law ministering to him “in this distressing There is a third way of approaching disguise” (as Mother Teresa puts it). the question of the poor—one that should stimulate our reason and emotions simultaneously—and that is through Scripture. Consider Psalm 113:5–8: “Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down upon the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes …” What is distinctively characteristic of Yahweh, the psalmist writes, is not just that he reigns on high, or that he condescends to our depths, but that he actually “raises the poor from the dust.” That is the kind of God he is.

TRANSFO10 RM Spring 2021 The Powerless Poor Second, and sociopolitically speaking, there are the powerless poor, the victims of human oppression. The Old Testament recognizes that poverty is sometimes due to laziness, gluttony, or extravagance, but usually attributes it to the sins of others. Moreover, injustice tends to deteriorate because the poor are powerless to change it. Yet if the poor have no human helper, God “stands at the right hand of the needy” and “maintains the is an outward and sociological that they have no merit to plead, and cause of the afflicted.” So the condition which he opposes, while so receive the kingdom as a gift. On law contains strong prohibitions the latter is an inward and spiritual the other hand, the church should not against perverting the justice due condition which he approves. tolerate material poverty in its own to the poor, the wisdom literature fellowship. If there is one community requires kings and judges to “give The Church in the world in which justice is justice to the weak and fatherless” The only community in which these secured for the poor and need is and “maintains the rights of the concepts are combined is a church eliminated, this should be the church. poor and needy,” and the prophets that is witnessing to the kingdom of fulminate against national leaders The church, if it exemplifies both God. The Old Testament expectation who “trample the head of the poor ideals of the kingdom, will bear into the dust.” Thus, the concern was of an ideal king who would witness to the paradox of poverty. of the biblical writers goes beyond “judge the poor with righteousness,” If we want the new community of philanthropy to social justice. “decide with equity for the meek of Jesus to offer a radical alternative to the earth,” and grant these blessings the world around us, then we must The Humble Poor to the “humble and lowly.” The set ourselves simultaneously to Third, and spiritually speaking, there fulfillment in Jesus corresponds eradicate the evil of material poverty are the humble poor. Oppressed by to this, for he spoke of the (because we hate injustice) and to men, they look to God for help, and righteousness of his kingdom and cultivate the good of spiritual poverty put their trust in him. So “the poor” at the same time said that the good (because we love humility). came to be a synonym for “the pious,” news would be preached, and the If we ask how we well-to-do and their condition a symbol of and kingdom given, to “the poor.” These Christians should express solidarity stimulus to the dependence of faith. can be neither the sociologically with the poor, it seems that the This is specially clear in the Psalter; poor (or salvation would be limited first option, to “become poor,” is for example, “this poor man cried, and to the proletariat), nor the spiritually the vocation of some but not all. the Lord heard him, and saved him poor (or the facts of Jesus’ ministry The selling and giving of the early out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6). to the poor and hungry would be Jerusalem Christians was clearly overlooked), but to those who are In these ways God “raises the poor voluntary. The opposite extreme, to both. To them the kingdom of God is from the dust,” for he lifts them out “stay rich and ignore the poor,” is proclaimed as a free gift of salvation of the dust of penury, oppression, not an admissible option. and as a promise of justice. and helplessness. God concerns The rich cannot ignore the poor of himself both with the materially poor The Christian church should this world, but must do something and powerless, and with the morally exemplify these truths. On the one for them. A rich Christian is not humble and meek. Yet his attitude to hand, it consists entirely of the a contradiction in terms; but a these groups differs, for the former spiritually poor, who acknowledge Christian who lives richly, spending his wealth upon self and family, is a contradiction. The third option, to “ We must set ourselves simultaneously which all of us are called, is to live to eradicate the evil of material a life of generosity and of simple contentment. “We brought nothing poverty (because we hate injustice) into the world, and we cannot take and to cultivate the good of spiritual anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these poverty (because we love humility).” we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:7–8).

LANGHAM PARTNERS HIP 11 Upcoming John Stott centenary events n All Souls Church, Langham Place, has a series of sermons on Sunday, 18th and 25th April, on John Stott’s commitment to preaching the Bible, proclaiming the gospel, equipping the people, and reaching the world in mission. Chris Wright will preach the fourth, at the 5.30pm service on 15th April. n Langham Partnership on 26th April, at 1pm and 7pm will hold a webinar ‘The Vision Continues’ as the three Programme Directors talk to Majority World leaders. n EFAC on the 27th April at 11am are holding an online event titled ‘John Stott, Pastor, Leader and Friend’, then that evening at 7pm LICC are holding an online event titled ‘The Life and Legacy of John Stott, Anglican Priest, theologian and founder of LICC’

To find out how you can watch these events online go to johnstott.org/events and please keep looking as more events are organised over the year.

Podcast Listen to Mark Meynell in conversation with friends Available from shaped by John Stott’s dictumpress.com a ministry. johnstott.org/ biography of John podcast Stott for children and children-at-heart!